Minnesota GreenCorps January Monthly News

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MEMBER PROJECTS

Air Pollutant Reduction, Julia Wells: City of Minnetonka
Project: Update energy benchmarking of public buildings, provide outreach and education on the city's Energy Action Plan, and create a report highlighting solar-suitability findings.
When not serving, “I play the viola in an orchestra and a string quartet. I also love to hike, ski, and canoe!”

Community Readiness & Outreach, Karyna Kloude: Freshwater Society (St. Paul)
Project: Assist with the transition and integration of the Adopt a River program into Freshwaters Society’s programming and establish its sustainable and equitable path forward.
When not serving, “I can be found at a library, coffee shop, at home, or in nature with my books, music, movies, and games, often accompanied by a cup of tea and an adult feline named Oli.”

Green infrastructure Improvements, Léa Payette: City of Minneapolis
Project: Help improve awareness, participation, and engagement in the city’s water resources and stormwater educational programs as well as in operation, maintenance, and monitoring of stormwater practices.
When not serving, “I love to spend time outside, and bike around Lake Bde Maka Ske. Some of my special interests are sustainable/second-hand fashion, ancient civilizations and social justice.”

Waste Reduction, Recycling, and Organics Management, Elly Strunk: College of St. Benedict (St. Joseph)
Project: Educate students, faculty, and staff on reducing their consumption and recycling correctly, and improve upon the existing organics recycling program.
When not serving, “I go for walks, go to the gym, or watch Netflix shows and movies in my free time.”

UPCOMING TRAININGS

January 20: EPA’s How's My Waterway? – Virtual, Free
This webinar focuses on the new features that have been added to How’s My Waterway, an online educational tool for communities to learn about the health of their watershed.

January 29: Plan, Shop, Store: Creative Ways to Reduce Your Food Waste – Virtual, Free
Join Amy Maas from Hennepin County to learn concrete techniques for reducing your waste through better planning, shopping with a different lens, and modifying how you store and utilize food throughout the week.

January 31: Talking Climate Impacts & Solutions - Virtual, Free
Join this livestream with Katharine Hayhoe as she discusses her new book, Saving Us, which explains how climate change affects us all and how we all have a role to play in solving it.

February 15-18: IECA Annual Conference and Expo – In person, $195 [conflicts with Q2 training]
The IECA Annual Conference and Expo brings together the industry’s most innovative minds in the erosion and sediment control and storm water industry. Hosted at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Open, self-paced: Mental Health Webinar - Virtual, Free
Learn strategies for self-care and ways to promote your wellness during this conversation between the CEO of the American Psychological Association and the executive director of the National League of Cities.

MN GREENCORPS UPDATES

MN GreenCorps member Kallan, serving at West Central Initiative, held a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) kick-off meeting in the town of Underwood, conducted walk/bike audits and sidewalk inventories, and tabled at the school during parent- teacher conferences. During this engagement event, Kallan received helpful community feedback about the SRTS plans, learning what would encourage children to walk or bike to school.

MN GreenCorps host site, Mississippi Park Connection (MPC) reached its goal of planting 15,000 trees along the Mississippi River! As a non-profit partner of the National Park Service, MPC helps steward the park that stretches along 72 miles of the river. Floodplain forests in this area face a number of challenges related to climate change; they are expected to lose 40% of their canopy to the Emerald Ash Borer. To maintain the benefits of these unique forest ecosystems, MPC set out to grow thousands of floodplain trees of diverse species. Thanks to MN GreenCorps member Alanna for helping with several volunteer events in the final push to plant (and grow) these 15,000 trees. Pictured right: Alanna and MPC Executive Director Katie plant an eastern redbud, a small-medium sized tree that blooms with pink-purple flowers.

TRIBAL NEWS

Check out the Tribes of EPA Region 5 Edition of the Tribal Air Resources Journal, Volume 13.  Each Tribal entry reflects the unique nature of Tribes in Region 5 and the different issues, priorities, and funding concerns faced by each. Included in the Journal is a summary of facts for Region 5 Tribal funding and involvement on regional and national venues, a Tribal location map and contact listings for Tribal air professionals, and a map of Ceded Territories. The goal of the Journal is to inform and communicate potential partnerships as well as leverage resources for Region 5 Tribes now and into the future.

STATE NEWS

According to newly released data from the MPCA and DNR, the state has lost an average of 10 to 14 days of lake ice over the past 50 years. "Shorter lake ice seasons caused by climate change are threatening some of Minnesota's most cherished traditions," MPCA Commissioner Katrina Kessler said. "We must take bold action to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change for the sake of our lakes, our economy and to save winters as we know them in our state." 

MN GreenCorps member Léa, serving with the City of Minneapolis, has created an online Salt mini-course to teach residents the environmental impacts and best practices on using de-icing salt for winter roads and sidewalks. In addition, the Izaak Walton League of America is offering their Winter Salt Watch program to Minnesota residents. Take the Salt Watch Pledge, and request a FREE kit with everything you need to find out whether salt pollution is a problem in your local stream, lake, or wetland.

RANDOM FACTOID Playing with temperatures and humidity levels, Dr. Ken Libbrecht can produce all kinds of snowflake sizes and shapes. The snowflakes always start as a simple dot and then grow out from there. Libbrecht has gotten so good at designing snowflakes, he actually knows what they will grow to look like. "It's fun," he says. "I get to predict nature." Find out more.

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